Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/5037
T hough cartographers may disagree, one way to get to the cuisine of cen- tral Italy is to take a jaunt down North Main Street in Walnut Creek, California. There, on the 1500 block, you'll find Prima Ris- torante, an award-win- ning and critically-lauded pairing of cucina and vino under a single roof. Founded in the '70s by Executive Chef and owner Peter Chastain, Prima Ristorante prides itself on having been at the fore- front of the wine and epi- curean movement that has come to define the Cali- fornia dining experience. Chastain also proved he has an eye for talent when he brought in mixologist Gwyn Hogarth three and a half years ago. "In the bar, Gwyn has really made a point of following the seasons. In the fall, you'll see things made from pumpkin, pomegranate and persimmon and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice to give accent to that type of weather," Chastain explains. "In the summer, there are cucumber gimlets and fresh peach cocktails and all the stone fruit of summer. She's really into it. She even gets into herbal things, especially in the spring. She'll do things with chervil, basil and tarragon. She's very adventurous." Inasmuch as Hogarth is adventurous, she is also something of a sentimentalist, at least when it comes to Baileys Irish Cream and Irish whiskey. "Baileys and Irish whiskey on the rocks is a Hogarth women's tradition," the mixology maven says with a laugh. "Every Thanksgiving or Christmas morning, we'll have a cup of coffee with Baileys in it; then it just evolves into straight-up Baileys and Irish whiskey all day long. I took that idea and ran with it." Hogarth apparently ran all the way to 19th-century England, where one might experience "Christmas pudding, Cornish pasties, rush on the floor and the smell of nutmeg and cinnamon in the air." Hogarth likely inherited her anglophile's sensibility from her Eng- lish father, and family lore maintains she is also related to Charles Dickens through marriage. The relation is evident in her creation, the Baileys Dickens, in more ways than one. "My whole idea was to have you drink it, smell it, taste it and sort of recall that idea of sitting around a fire Christmas night, full and fat and happy. It's cold outside, but you have this going on," she offers. Hogarth first plied her trade pulling pints at a Brit pub, which eventually led to her interest in mixology as a means of reclaiming w ith a pun—hence the "Tickle Misu." "Baileys makes me think of wintertime and that warm, fuzzy feeling. It's a winter cocktail, definitely," explained Amador, who annually observes an up-tick in Baileys sales during the winter months, and not just as Tickle Misus. "We sell a lot on the rocks and over coffee," reports Amador, who keeps her cache of liquors tastefully displayed on shelves reminis- cent of a law library, replete with a rolling ladder. "Sometimes people order drinks just to watch us go up the ladder." —D.H. Tickle Misu To one shot of espresso add 1½ oz. Baileys Irish Cream, a splash of dark crème de cacao and 1 oz. Captain Mor- gan Original Spiced Rum. Top with real cream whipped with vodka and milk and garnish with dark chocolate shavings. eration, so the brothers can save some of their precious refrigerator space. "I'm always up for something new," said Jeremy, referring to the drink, which uses all three Baileys expressions as well as French-made, grape-based Cîroc vodka. "It's been a hit." If traditional Baileys in- vokes the notion of snuggling up to some- one you love, the Baileys à Trois is snug- gling up to someone you love—and their hot friend. The cocktail is like a form-fit- ting parka, cozy and surprisingly lean on the palate thanks to the vodka finish. If the demand for the cocktail in the first week is any indication, the brothers have created both a seasonal and a family tradition. —Daedalus Howell Baileys à Trois Add equal parts Baileys Irish Cream, Baileys Coffee and Baileys Caramel to one part Cîroc vodka. Add a splash of cream and shake vigorously. Pour into a chilled glass and top with chocolate shavings. PHOTO: RYAN LELY december 2009 / the tasting panel / 51 Ain't That Just the Dickens? Prima's mixologist, Gwyn Hogarth. PHOTO: RYAN LELY